Transplanter



. y 16, 1957 A J. CHANCEY 2,799,234

-F'iled0ot. 1a. 1954 TRANSPLANTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig] Andrew J. Chancey INVENTOR.

BY M24 July 16, 1957 A. J. CHANCEY TRANSPLANTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18. 1954 Andrew J. Chancey INVENTOR.

MMEM

United States Patent This invention relates generally to agricultural implements, and pertains more particularly to a transplanting assembly.

A primary object of this invention is to provide improvements in transplanters wherein the same are rendered of greater versatility, of greater simplicity and of greater efficiency.

Another object of this invention is to provide an im-{ proved transplanting assembly which incorporates a main frame assembly and removable carriage assemblies for supporting the same, the carriage assemblies constituting complete subassemblies and adapted for positioning transversely with respect to the main frame section to adapt the transplanter. for varying widths of rows.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the transplanter assembly as attached to a tractor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the transplanter assembly as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 44 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the transplanter assembly; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing details of the planting disks.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates a tractor of any conventional form which is provided with rear driving wheel members 12 and 14 and with hydraulic lift arm members 16 and 18 and a conventional idler arm 20 associated therewith.

The transplanting assembly is indicated generally by the reference character 22 and will be seen to consist of a main frame section which includes the transverse, spaced parallel frame members 24 and 26 which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawings, are formed of angle members. A pair of forwardly converging, upwardly angulated arm members 28 and 30 are firmly afiixed to the rear angle member 24 by means of suitable bracket assemblies 32 and 34, respectively, and the forward ends of these arms are interconnected by means of a bolt member 36 carried between the upper ends of the forward vertical arm members 38 and 40. The lower ends of the vertical arms 38 and 40 are formed of upwardly convergent configuration and are secured to the forward frame member 26 by means of bracket members 42 and each of the bracket members 42 is provided with a depending ear portion 44 carrying a pivot bolt member 46 to which the rearward end of the lift arms 18 are secured. At the extreme upper end of the vertical arms 38 and 40, provision is made for carrying a horizontal pivot bolt member 50 to which the rearward end of the idler arm 29 is secured, in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 3.

The frame members 24 and 26 together with the arm members 28, 30, 38 and 40, form a rigid frame assembly which constitutes the main portion of the transplanter assembly.

For supporting the main frame of the transplanter, carriage assemblies are provided. Each carriage assembly 0 will be seen to consist of a pair of longitudinally disposed, forwardly convergent body members '60 and 62 which are provided with uprights 64 and 66 at their rear ward ends and with an interconnecting member 68 extending therebetween for rigidly securing the rearward ends of the body members together. A pair of seats 70 and 72 are provided on each of the carriage assemblies at the rearward ends of the'body members 60 and 62,

respectively, and the forward ends of the body members are interconnected by the transverse brace and foot rest members 74.

Uprights 76 are provided at the forward ends of the body members 60 and 62 for securement at their upper ends to the frame members 24 and 26, and further uprights 78 are provided rearwardly of the uprights 76, and these members carry the straps 80 therebetween which are secured directly to the body members 24iand 26.

Immediately adjacent the uprights 78 are the vertical strut members 82 and 84', see particularly Figure 6 which carry a V shaped axle member 86 therebetween upon which the mutually convergent disk members 88 and 90 are rotatably carried, the disks being separated by a spacer member 92 in the manner shown. The struts 82 and 84 are secured at their upper ends to the strap members 80 and at their lower ends to the body members 60 and 62. Further strut members 94 are provided rearwardly of the strut members 82 and 84 and depend from the body members 60 and 62 for carrying the stub axles 96 upon which the angulated packing wheels 98 are journaled.

A pair of spaced strut members 100 are disposed in depending relation to the straps 68 previously described, and these members journal an axle member 102 therebetween for carrying the supporting wheels 104, one such wheel assembly being associated with each carriage assembly. The relationship between the supporting wheels 104 and the packing wheels 98 is such that the greatest part of the weight of the transplanter assembly is carried on the supporting wheels whereas the packing wheels impart only sufficient force to the ground which has been furrowe'd by the disks 88 and 90 to pack the earth about plants which have been disposed within the furrow.

For the purpose of providing proper condition of the soil for the transplanted plants, a reservoir or tank is supported upon the rear axle housing 112 of the tractor by means of uprights 114 and 116 secured at their lower ends thereon and which have cradled upper portions 118 and 120 cooperating with straps rods 122 and 124, in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 5. The tank is provided with an outlet 126 and two valves 128 and 130 associated therewith having manually controlled handles 132 and 134 thereon for selectively varying the flow to the flexible hose members 136 and 138. The hose members extend from the valves to a point between the disk members 88 and 90, in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 4, brace arms 140 being provided for supporting the rearward ends of the hose in the manner shown.

One of the brake drums for the driving wheels is provided with a band member secured thereon by a plurality of bolt members 152, in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 2. These bolt members also present projections against which a resilient strap member 154 engages at its forward end, the rearward end of the strap member being secured to the frame member 24 and 26, as illustrated most clearly in Figure 1. It will be manifest that this construction creates audible signals in timed relation to the speed of the transplanter assembly along the ground to appraise operators on the transplanter'when to insert plantsinto the furrow formed by the disks 88* and'90;

In the operation of the device, two operators'sit' on each carriage assembly and drop the plantskalternately, which allows each operator sufficient time to reach into the plant box and pick up, a plant to, be transplanted; Each operator places these plants into the furrow formed by the disks 88 and 90in spaced, relation, as indicated by the audible signals created by the projections 152 striking the strap member 154: Theassembly may also be utilized as a cultivator, and to this end, it willbe appreciated that the beams 16,0 are-secured betweenethe frame members 24 and-26 and include depending portions 162 to which the cultivator shoe assemblies 164 are removably secured, It is preferred that three such beam assemblies and' cultivator units be provided:

It may be preferred that the cultivator units be utilized at the same time the transplanting operation is performed,

and to this end, it will be appreciated that these cultivator units are so spaced and'positioned' that they loosen the,

ground which is normally packed by the front and rear wheels-ofthe tractor as it progresses over the ground surface. It will also be appreciated that the beam assemblies 160 may forma perrnanent'part of the frame assembly of the transplanter so as to rigidify the connection between the frame elements 2.4 and 26.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occurto those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a tractor having a rear driving wheel and a hydraulic lift, a pair of side by side transplanting carriages in therear of the, tractor adapted to be liftediand lowered fromand intotransplanting position, and each carrying front furrow openers and rear ground packing wheels, and each being provided thereon with a ground wheel and seats, a lifting and lowering frame for said carriages extending across and spaced above the same, uprights connecting said carriages rigidly to said frame for lifting and lowering in unison by the frame, means connecting said frame, to said power lift for lifting and'lowering thereby to lift and lower the carriages, circumferentially spaced projections on saiddriving wheel, anda resilient strapmember fixed to and extending forwardly of said frame over said projections for engagement and flexing thereby to produce an audible signal for timing transplanting and raised and lowered from and into engagement with said projections when the frame and carriages are lifted and lowered.

References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

